can this asian girl get into harvard?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>hey guys, sorry my post is really long, but it just goes to show my concern. i'm applying to Harvard among many other top colleges, and i'm worried that i've spread myself too thin and that i look scattered. will colleges see my commitment to so many things negatively? </p>

<p>please, please, please give me a % chance for harvard so i can get a second opinion. i spent an overnight there a month ago, and i absolutely adored everything about being there, but my parents keep yelling at me that i shouldn't keep my hopes up. they keep saying that i should apply to more "safety" schools... any thoughts?? (i'm applying also to lehigh, georgetown, uchicago, nyu stern, upenn huntsman, yale, princeton, columbia)</p>

<p>*ACADEMICS * </p>

<p>• Recipient of the only full merit scholarship (9th-12th grade)<br>
• 4.35 GPA (unweighted)
• SAT (superscored): 790 M 790 CR 800 W
• SAT IIs: Math I 750, Math II 760, Bio 740, Chem 740, US History 750, Chinese 800, French with listening 740
• AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction: US Gov, Biology, Calc AB, Calc BC, US History, Chemistry (all 5s) currently taking: French, Lit, Comparative Gov.<br>
• Scholar of my diocese selected to dual enroll in local college<br>
• National Merit Semi-finalist: PSAT 80 CR, 77 M, 80 W </p>

<p>** RANDOM ACHIEVEMENTS/AWARDS **
• Winner of Opera Company essay contest<br>
• Winner of National Society of High School Scholars scholarship<br>
• One of 10 national winners of Global Citizen Award Essay Contest Scholarship
• Tomorrow25 Bentley University International Leadership Competition<br>
• Nominated for Principal’s Leadership Award
• Gov school for business: Project Manager</p>

<p>*LEADERSHIP INVOLVEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENTS *
• World Affairs Council 10th- 12th<br>
Student Advisory Committee
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Model United Nations Committee Chair<br>
Vice President of school World Affairs Club
• President of Academic Quiz Competition Team 9th-12th<br>
• Student Council Homeroom Representative 9th-12th<br>
• (Co) Managing Editor of teen-run online magazine 9th-11th
Organized Journalism Workshop with local major newspaper<br>
Organized an Anti-violence Poetry Slam
• Treasurer of Forensics Club 10th- 12th<br>
4th place State Championships<br>
National Forensics Honor Society Level of Excellence
• Co-captain of High School Reading Olympics 11th , 12th
1st place at regional competition
• President of National Honor Society (1st year instituted) 12th</p>

<p>** ATHLETICS **
• Varsity Tennis 3rd doubles, 4th singles alternate 9th-12th </p>

<p>** ART AND MUSIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS **</p>

<p>• Piano (13 years)<br>
Piano Competition of my Diocese– 1st Place<br>
• Advanced Instrumental Ensemble & piano accompaniment 9th-12th
Clarinet (7 years): 1st chair, Select High School Woodwind Ensemble<br>
• Art (oil painting and charcoal)<br>
Featured in local major newspaper
Italian Landscape Contest – 1st place $500 scholarship </p>

<p>** VOLUNTEER WORK/COMMUNITY SERVICE **
• Volunteered at summer camp at local home for disabled children
• Calculus tutor for the BC Calc class as my teacher is part-time and I’m the only student who completed BC in 11th grade.
• Student teacher to 9th grade World Cultures classes on Chinese history & culture</p>

<p>** SCIENCE AND MATH **
• Mathletes Varsity A Team 9th-12th
Only one to qualify for Catholic/Public Championships<br>
• Science Fair (microbiology) 9th
1st award Regionals; 1st award State Finals
USDA Agricultural Research Service Recognition Award
• American Chemical Society Award </p>

<p>** FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS **
• “Le Grand Concours” French Contest: 9th place award<br>
• Fluent in Mandarin and dialect of Shanghai (1st language)
• Attended Chinese School from 3rd-9th grade</p>

2

<p>Your parents’ advice is sound, but you should apply to the schools of your choice (including safeties). If you want to apply to Harvard, go for it! If you don’t apply, you won’t get in.</p>

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<p>How can you have a 4.35 unweighted GPA?</p>

4

<p>she’s that good</p>

5

<p>Ap clases count as 5…I know cause I have a 4.25 gpa</p>

6

<p>Your parents aren’t just trying to be a thorn in your side, they are legitimately concerned that you might not get in to Harvard. No one on this site can give you a % chance for getting in. I agree that you need more safeties.</p>

7

<p>If AP courses count as “5” then that IS weighted.</p>

<p>zoinks.</p>

8

<p>You’re stats are amazing, even for CC. You’ve done the hard work, now just put your last effort into those applications and essays and I’m sure you can get into at least one ivy.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

9

<p>haha noo i think our school does it differently, we’re a tiny catholic school. i think 4.0 is an A and like 4.5 or something is an A+? i’m not sure how it works but on my transcripts and everything it’s unweighted</p>

10

<p>A is a 4, B is a 3, C is a 2, etc.
That is unweighted.
Add up all your classes throughout highschool with the points listed above and find the mean. That is unweighted GPA.</p>

11

<p>and thanks everyone for the responses :slight_smile: i appreciate it… i know my parents are just looking out for me and i’m not expecting to get in…i’m just doing my best on my end of the process. as for safeties, what would count as a “safety”? is anywhere safe? does the fact that i have connections with lehigh and a teacher recommendation from someone at lehigh help? my guidance counselor is the one that is sort of confusing me. he says that i’d get into lehigh no problem and shouldn’t bother to add any more to my list, but then again i’m thinking in my head that lehigh is a really good school. ahhhh advice?</p>

12

<p>fuse1921, i just checked my school’s handbook, our grading is 4.0 is an A, 4.4 is an A+. i think we just do it differently.</p>

13

<p>I suggest you have 2 safeties that you can afford and that you would enjoy attending. That way, if you will have a choice if you have to turn to your safeties.</p>

<p>Certainly, you have a chance at Harvard, as do about 85-90% of students who apply there.</p>

14

<p>What is your unweighted GPA as calculated by standard methods?</p>

<p>Anyways, you have a great chance.</p>

15

<p>sorry i should have just converted it… i have a 4.0. all A+s and As except an A- in 9th grade</p>

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<p>Nortstarmom – I totally agree. One thing I didn’t appreciate until last year was that most people applying to these really selective schools have the credentials to be accepted.</p>

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<p>i’ll be sending in my application for lehigh as my “target”/safety and one for my state college if i need to…good thing i’m the only child and my parents can pay for college!</p>

18

<p>Best of luck! :)</p>

<p>I just have some questions and I really hope you can answer them for me. (Sorry! D:)
What do you do in a World Affairs club, exactly? What about a Forensics club, Foreign Relations club, and Academic Quiz Competition? My school doesn’t have any ECs at all and I want to start some, but first I need to find out how they work and how they’re set up! :stuck_out_tongue: Yours really interested me, so I’d appreciate it very much if you could help me out. </p>

<p>Thanks! :D</p>

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<p>you have a great chance of getting in. but it’s harvard, so no one can tell for sure, unless someone has all your ECs and grades and have a building sharing their last name.</p>

20

<p>whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
this is amazing…seriously</p>